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My favourite thrift shops in Enschede

Thrift shopping has been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason: it’s cheap, it’s sustainable, and it’s very fashionable. It’s especially popular among students, who love everything that’s cheap and readily available. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my go-to thrift shops in Enschede, for the students who love clothes but don’t know yet where to get them secondhand!

Photo of Wisang
Wisang
Someone looking through a row of vintage clothing.

1. Kringloopwarenhuis Het Goed

Definitely a popular one among students, especially those who live in the city centre and on campus. Het Goed offers a decent selection of clothes, electronics, and furniture. It’s the thrift store I frequent the most, since it’s directly on the way from campus to the city and nearby other useful shops. I’ve found a bunch of goodies there – from extremely cheap Edifier speakers to extremely cheap office chairs. You’ll probably find the thing you didn’t know you needed right here!

2. Appel & Ei

Located in the heart of the city, Apple & Ei offers a very nice collection of clean and fashionable second-hand clothes. I also appreciate that they sort by colour (and I think, by season, but I’m not entirely sure), and you can find clothing from the most random brands to some fairly high-end ones. You can also bring your own, unused clothes here to sell them, or donate your clothes to charity through them if they end up being unsold.

3. SPITS Vintage

While some of these stores do sell vintage items, SPITS specialises in them. Also located right in the city centre, SPITS Vintage has a clear definition of what counts as vintage: their pieces, if possible, are at least 25 years old, so most clothes come from the 20th century.

4. Kringloop Enschede

I was a little hesitant about this one because it literally looks like a warehouse, but when I walked in and saw the endless collections of everything, all of my doubts went away. When I say everything, I mean everything: there are rooms upon rooms of different stuff, from ceramics to jewellery to old instruments and albums. It’s definitely a little unorganised (some rooms are very chaotic), but I think that adds to the warehouse vibe. It’s a bit further away from the city, but it’s well worth a trip.

5. Kringloop RataPlan Enschede

This thrift store opened fairly recently, so I haven’t had the chance to visit, but some friends have given me their opinion on it, and shown me the pieces that they snagged. All that’s made me feel is that I have to go visit sooner rather than later, because the clothes I saw were truly thrift-shoppy. In addition, my friends told me their little cafe is also very good, so feel free to munch on a sandwich while browsing their wares.

6. ThriftTale Enschede

Also located near the city centre, ThriftTale is a pretty well-known webshop that has a physical store in Enschede as well. Although their collections are pretty good and seasonal, I’ve found that their prices are a bit on the higher end of thrift shops. I will say, though, that my favourite autumn coat came from ThriftTale, so I will be eternally grateful to them.

7. Terre Des Hommes

A thrift shop for a good cause. All Terre Des Hommes stores in the Netherlands are run by volunteers, who make sure that the money from their shops goes to charity; their mission is to fight and stop child exploitation. They’ve got the standard collection for thrift shops: clothes, accessories, toys, books, and electronics. They’ve also got a very nice assortment of jewellery and decorations.

Aside from these seven, there are, of course, other second-hand shops in Enschede that I haven’t visited. There’s Granny Cool and Groovy Anton, in the city centre, which are basically right next to each other. ReShare Enschede is also within the area, and they have a pretty rad collection from what I hear. Finally, fitting in with Enschede's history with textiles and fabric, a lot of closet sales and vintage kilo sales are held throughout the city as well, so make sure you keep your eye on those!

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